Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, announced a host of schemes for skilled workers, women self-help groups and the urban poor among others.
He said the government will launch the Vishwakarma scheme, with an allocation of ₹13,000 crore to ₹15,000 crore, for skilled work like barbers, goldsmiths, washer men etc. The scheme will be launched in September, on the Vishwakarma Jayanti. Vishwakarma Jayanti falls on 17 September 2023.
The PM Vishwakarma Scheme aims to improve the quality, scale and reach of products and services of artisans and craftspeople and to integrate them with the domestic and global value chain. This would result in the economic empowerment of such workers, especially those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Communities, women, transgender and other weaker sections of the society.
He also announced a new scheme for drone training for women self-help groups for application in agriculture sector.
Modi also said a new urban housing scheme will be launched to help the urban poor and the middle-class own a house of their own.
"For the downtrodden people in cities without their own homes, middle class families who dream of a house of their own, we will come up with a scheme for the next few years. Under the scheme, government would provide relief in the interest on home loans to such families which live in cities but stay in rented homes, slums and unauthorized colonies and want to build a home of their own. We have decided to give relief worth lakhs of rupees under the interest subsidy scheme," he said.
The scheme may be an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) which is scheduled to end in December this year. Under the current scheme, beneficiaries get central assistance and interest subsidy for development of homes.
During his speech, the Prime Minister also spoke about the people of Manipur. While speaking about the violence in the North-Eastern state, PM Modi said peace is the only way to resolve all disputes, adding that, the Central and the state government had been working on maintaining peace.
"The whole country stands with the people of Manipur. Peace is the only way to resolve all disputes. The Centre and the Manipur government are making every effort to ensure that peace returns to the state at the earliest," PM Modi said.
Meanwhile, this year, in a switch from addressing the people of India as "my fellow citizens", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the nation as his "family members" while speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day.
Modi began his last Independence Day speech before the 2024 general election with, "My beloved 140 crore family members." Throughout the speech, he referred to the people of the country as "parivaarjan (family members)". In his earlier speeches, PM had referred to the people of the country as "my beloved brothers and sisters".
Addressing the nation on Independence Day for the 10th consecutive time as prime minister, Modi said global experts are saying that India will not stop now. "All rating agencies lauding country," he said.H
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